[RTTY] uh, what about spectrum?

[Jeff Stai WK6I]

At 11:53 AM 1/15/2006, Jeff Stai WK6I wrote:
>What's absurd is that we are apparently losing 115KHz of spectrum that 
>we all regularly use for RTTY contacts on 40 and 80, including the 
>ability to ever again have a simplex contact with a JA on 80 - and 
>thus setting ourselves up for the absurd chaos of split operations 
>that makes 40 phone such a joy (assuming of course that the DX cares 
>to offer split).
>
>Is anyone else planning to comment on the spectrum loss?

I see I need to clarify...

1. During the recent RU I made contacts between 3520-3525, which is 
the only place that JAs may operate RTTY on 80. If the ARRL proposal 
is adopted, you won't be making simplex JA contacts on 80 during RTTY 
contests because you can't go below 3580.

2. My 80m antenna is tuned as a compromise between roughly 3500 and 
3600, to allow CW and RTTY JA contacts at the low end, and RTTY at the 
high. Obviously the closer I am to 3550 the better. I made a LOT of 
contacts running at 3576 for this reason. I have to think others are 
in a similar situation.

3. When that mult you need in the CQWW RTTY is running at 7030, if the 
ARRL proposal is adopted you won't be working them. Not legally, anyway.

4. Yes, I understand that we can now operate RTTY all the way to the 
top of each band, so that net spectrum has been gained. However, that 
unreachable mult won't be working 7230 any time soon. The rest of the 
world is not changing.

Yes, I agree that we can run split. Yes, I can retune my 80m antenna 
more often. But the fact is we are giving something up, and I don't 
see a reason to.

cheers - jeff wk6i


--
Jeff Stai               jds at twistedoak.com
Twisted Oak Winery      http://www.twistedoak.com/
Rocketry Org. of CA     http://www.rocstock.org/
Amateur Radio           WK6I ~ Calaveras County, CA